Foreign exchange or Forex is the simultaneous buying of one currency and selling
of another. Currencies are traded through a broker or dealer and are executed in
currency pairs. For example: the Euro and the US Dollar (EUR/USD) or the British
Pound and the Japanese Yen (GBP/JPY). The Foreign Exchange Market (Forex) is the
largest financial market in the world, with a daily volume of over $5.2 trillion.
This is more than three times the total amount of the stocks and futures markets
combined. Unlike other financial markets, the Forex spot market has neither a physical
location nor a central exchange. It operates through an electronic network of banks,
corporations, and individuals trading one currency for another. The lack of a physical
exchange enables the Forex market to operate on a 24-hour basis, spanning from one
time zone to another across the major financial centers. This fact - that there
is no centralized exchange - is important to keep in mind as it spreads throughout
all aspects of the Forex experience.